Would you add something to these sandwiches?

[Anonymous]

Making sandwiches for the soup kitchen. Roast beef and cheese with lettuce on rye. Gonna stick a packet of mayo and mustard in.

Sandwiches are supposed to be delivered already wrapped, so I can’t do other condiments on the side.

Would you add anything else? I would probably add pickled onions if I was making this sandwich for me. My spouse would add a smear of horseradish. I imagine some people would like pickles. I would also like tomatoes, but I imagine people would take them with them to eat later since they have just eaten a hot meal, and that would make it soggy.

[Anonymous]

It’s fine as is. Don’t complicate things.

[Anonymous]

Not rye

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not rye

Sandwiches are made. I am only asking opinions on adding something before I wrap them up.

[Anonymous]

Add nothing, it will get soggy.

[Anonymous]

What made you choose rye?

[Anonymous]

I would not add anything now.

In the future, you can buy individual packs of horseradish sauce (amazon has heinz ones, 200 packets for $33). And if you make sandwiches again, I think white or wheat bread would be more popular.

[Anonymous]

They sound very nice OP. I think rye is wonderful and people only think they don't like it but they really like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What made you choose rye?

A few reasons. One is that I had access to high quality roast beef at a good price, so what tastes good with roast beef was my starting point.

The particular place I was serving had a demographic with a lot of elderly, and when I go places with a lot of elderly people (e.g. my mom’s assisted living, or the program for formerly unhoused elderly where I regularly volunteer, I notice people choosing rye often.

In my experience adults, particularly adults who are not white (as are most of the clients at this particular place) appreciate flavor in their food, and rye adds flavor to the sandwich without making it soggy.

I think nutrient diversity is important and whole grain rye bread adds that.

Rye bread is dense and hearty and stands up well over time. If someone is saving the sandwich for tomorrow it seems like a hearty sandwich that stands up over time is good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not add anything now.

In the future, you can buy individual packs of horseradish sauce (amazon has heinz ones, 200 packets for $33). And if you make sandwiches again, I think white or wheat bread would be more popular.

I actually ordered some individual packets for next time I decide to spontaneously make sandwiches.

The deli that sold me the roast beef and the rye let me have
mayo and mustard packets.

[Anonymous]

I make food for soup kitchens and Martha’s table pretty often. They don’t want you adding a lot of stuff because it limits the number of people who can eat it with food sensitivities as well as preferences. Definitely do not add anything else.

I agree with folks that said in the future use whole grain bread. A lot of people don’t like rye (I do) and so this will already be very limiting. They like condiments but always on the side as packets — both because of the sogginess issues and because of food preferences and restrictions. (Eg some people are allergic to mustard, some people may be in low fat diets and can’t have mayonnaise, some people just hate one or the other, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Or if using rye make sure it’s seedless. The seeds can easily get stuck in teeth and cause issues for people without easy access to floss and who may already have dental sensitivity.

[Anonymous]

OP - You have been incedibly thoughtful about the food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Add nothing, it will get soggy.

This. Adding anything like mustard or pickles will make it soggy.

[Anonymous]

These sandwiches sound great and it seems like you know your audience.